7 months

Stylish, no? These sunglasses stayed on her face for a grand total of 20 seconds. Apparently her ears are set far back on her head and she has no bridge to speak of on her nose.

This has been another month of constant illness. We had quite a scare when Kumi got RSV (also diagnosed as bronchiolitis) a couple of weeks ago and had to take her to the emergency room two nights in a row. She was wheezing and coughing so much that she could barely breathe. There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your little baby in miniature hospital garb, sitting wide-eyed and breathless on a gurney. She had tubes attached to measure her oxygen intake, a mask covering her mouth to give her albuterol (asthma medicine) and the nurses stuck skinny Q-tip like things way up her nose. Kumi definitely didn't like that. She even had to get chest x-rays -- it was two nights full of wheezy tears.

Developmentally though, she's been thriving. To my delight, she babbles all the time and the sweet sound of "mamamama" continues to be most prominent. She's also got a great sense of humor. Kumi discovered peek-a-boo and she can't get enough of it. Her belly laughs have me rolling on the floor too and we spend a lot of time chuckling together.

Lately, she's been trying to sit up on her own. She starts off with a downward dog move -- like she's about to do a push-up but with her butt high in the air. Then she lifts one arm above her head and swivels her body so that her tush lands on the bed/floor/crib mattress. She ends up looking like she's casually lounging and not quite sitting up. Very fun to watch.

And can she move! MF and I were negligent parents and one morning while we both slumbered deeply, Kumi woke up (she was in the bed with us) and managed to scoot herself all the way OFF the bed. A loud thud and crash jolted us awake. A split second later, Kumi was wailing on the bedroom hardwood floor. Fortunately our bed is low and there were some towels piled where she landed because we'd been running the humidifier non-stop -- you know how those things drip with condensation. Still, it was a nerve-wracking lesson that our little baby is no longer the immobile being we'd gotten accustomed to.

I feel like Kumiko's personality is really starting to come out and she's a strong-willed girl full of joy and a touch of shyness. I could go on and on about her little antics. I am so grateful I can stay home with her during this time. And as I get used to motherhood, I am forging comforting routines and the urge to create is returning. I hope to start posting illustrations and crafts soon. I've been sketching some ideas...

Who knew sleep deprivation could be so fun and productive?